GEOL 1030 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Magnesium, Mohs Scale Of Mineral Hardness, Calcite
Document Summary
Mineral: naturally occurring, inorganic solid, ordered internal molecular structure, definite. Elements: building blocks of minerals; less than 100 are known (92 occurring). Atoms: smallest particle of matter, retain all characteristics of an element. Atomic number: number of protons in an atom"s nucleus. Bonding of atoms: form a compound with two or more elements; ions are atoms that gain/lose electrons (isotopes have varying number of neutrons). Exotic colorations of certain minerals produce gemstones. Streak: color of mineral in powdered form. Put to the test: color of the element may differ from the streak/powder left behind on a unglazed porcelain plate (only approx. Cleavage: tendency to break along planes of weak bonding. Produce flat, shiny surfaces; described by resulting geometric shapes (number of planes, angles between adjacent planes). Weight of mineral / weight of equal volume of water (average value = 2. 7). Crystal form: external expression of mineral"s internal structure (loss of heat/competition for space).
